The older children were taken in a small group to began their second year with the Emwaves. They were excited and eager to work with me & their Emwaves again. After a brief review and adjusting to the new room they settled right in and the room fell silent. They sat for 5 minutes easily. To prepare for their sitting we talked about their mindful bodies getting comfortable and their need to move. I allowed them to rest against the wall or sit in a chair and they asked me turn off the lights. Once time was up they easily gave me their devices for the follow up conversation. They all shared a sense of calm that came over them and the room. This has been a consistent comment. One student shared how he used thoughts of gratitude like he learned last year with me because it helped him feel 'so good' and calm inside. Spontaneous discussion regarding their eyes, what strategies they used etc. began amongst them and continued into the classroom as we walked out. I asked them if they used their breath as an anchor and they all said they tried but then stopped and used the light on the device which has a steady visual motion they have always liked. ( This is why I felt these devises might help children with autism. ) Most said they breathed with the light when they had their eyes opened. This handheld device provides visual feedback in a calm and simple way. The motion of the light is in itself calming to these children. One child expressed that every time his light went green he got excited and wiggly which made the device turn red. This was an excellent comment which we expanded on to talk about how negative or positive emotions can change the Emwave's light and why they thought that was the case. This will be further explored I told them. One child recalled how we did a slow walking activity last year and wondered if using an Emwave would be helpful then too since he was always moving and rocking and just 'felt better' when he moved. Wow all this in 30 minutes!

1st year student movies explaining the Emwaves & Yoga to their families